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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

Being in the ward afterwards?

23 replies

Sleepyhoglet · 18/08/2014 16:12

What's it like- is it truly terrible? I talk and snore in my sleep and am really embarrassed about this happening in a room of people I done know. I'm more nervous about this that actual labour but I want to stay long enough to get feeding established.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

ThinkIveBeenHacked · 18/08/2014 16:14

You may well get a single room, I did, and didnt even know they had them!

The reassuring thing about the wards is that you probably wont have a proper sleep at all so chances of snoring/talking is slim to none.

CointreauVersial · 18/08/2014 16:26

I loved it, really companionable. There were curtains round each bed if you wanted privacy, but company and support if you needed it while you were breastfeeding at 3am. I wasn't disturbed by anyone really; too busy focusing on my new little person.

mrscog · 18/08/2014 19:22

I had DS at 11.36am, I think I was wheeled to the ward around 3pm, it was very quiet, I was the only inhabitant out of 8 beds, the sun was streaming through the windows, and due to the unanticipated quietness, I had a midwife and 2 HCAs to myself for 5 hours. They brought me loads of food (as they'd over ordered due to not knowing how many people would be in) cooed over DS and were generally lovely. The ward did fill up by morning, but compared to the horror stories you hear it was true bliss! I found the nights quite peaceful too. Yes there was some pottering/occasional crying, but it was ok.

PenguinsIsSleepDeprived · 18/08/2014 20:19

Just a word of warning- overstretched wards won't necessarily keep you in for days to establish feeding. if all seems to be ok for day 1/2 and you are well, most will want you out. Also help on the ward could be pretty patchy. I would resesrch local bfing support too.

ThatBloodyWoman · 18/08/2014 20:24

I don't know how long it is that you stay in after a vaginal birth but I stayed 2 days after my cs 's -certainly not long enough to establish breastfeeding.
Its quite interesting being on the ward when you start expelling the excess gas that a cs leaves you with...

I think the ward is an interesting place -I think I may well have felt a bit isolated and possibly a bit down in a private room.

RubyrooUK · 18/08/2014 20:36

Don't worry, you're having a baby. You won't have to worry about sleeping anymore.

RubyrooUK · 18/08/2014 20:40

And on a more serious note, most people on the ward are way too busy struggling with new babies to worry or notice you snoring or talking.

And if they do notice, well, it won't be the most interesting thing on the ward. My maternity ward experiences include a couple who wrapped their whole cubicle in pink - literally everything from the chair to the cot legs. And sexy talk between couples. And family arguments.

museumum · 18/08/2014 20:42

Ime you won't get to sleep :(
Four babies, four women, three with CSs, medication runs blood pressure monitors, women being moved in and out at night.... It was horrible.

But I think the reason it was horrible was that I didn't need to be there as I had an easy birth and recovered quickly, I was only there to wait for DS's blood test result as I am Rh-ve. For the others who were on heavy painkillers and needed nursing care it was probably ok.

itiswhatitiswhatitis · 18/08/2014 20:43

Try not to worry, most women are so exhausted they won't notice. I slept through ds2 screaming his lungs out next to me someone came over and woke me up

Original poster

Sleepyhoglet · 18/08/2014 21:20

Oh I'm rhesus negative? Does that mean waiting longer? But I know that husband us also negative so no concerns although that isn't recorded officially

OP posts:

PenguinsIsSleepDeprived · 18/08/2014 21:21

I don't know about staying in.

But I do know that they don't take your word for it on your partner's blood group (or at least they didn't when my friend gave birth). They said there was too much risk to mums and babies if someone made a mistake, or their partner wasn't the baby's father, so they assumed a + partner in all cases.

SevenZarkSeven · 18/08/2014 21:23

I prefer being on wards

Feels more companionable.

It's fine, don't worry about it. You might not be on one anyway.

museumum · 18/08/2014 21:32

Sleepyhog - they test the cord blood. My ds's test came back inconclusive or cross-contaminated. So we were all set up to give him light therapy for jaundice if he developed it. I was released from the mlu at 8am Sunday morning but had to wait on the ward till 6pm Monday for repeat bloods to be taken and tested! Ds was totally fine btw.

micah · 18/08/2014 21:35

Not being kept in long enough to establish breastfeeding!

Hahahahaha!

I was desperate to get out after 3 days (CS and lots of complications) because they just offered to go and get me bottles and formula all the time. Basically the answer to any question or hiccup or even a marathon feed was to offer formula..

Got out so I could breastfeed without someone pushing formula at me.

Oh and don't let them "show you how to bath baby", unless you really think you need it. It's just like bathing anything else, and in the first few days distresses the hell out of them. Do it at home.

museumum · 18/08/2014 21:37

Found this on the nhs site - it's the "Coombs test" that we had an inconclusive result on. I still don't remember if they ever did tell me his blood type... But he did have two jaundice tests in the two days we were in.

"If you are RhD negative, blood will be taken from your baby’s umbilical cord when they are born to check their blood group and to see if the anti-D antibodies have been passed into their blood. This is called a Coombs test.
If you are known to have anti-D antibodies, your baby’s blood will also be tested for anaemia and jaundice."

MarlenaGru · 18/08/2014 21:44

I found the ward ok. The private room was worse as they totally forgot about me (first time round). Similar breastfeeding experience first time (feed formula if any problem) but that hospital has got a terrible reputation since.

This time I was on a ward with a CS woman with her husband there. They talked all night long (I arrived at 1am) and baby cried loads. My DD slept the entire time. At 5am a woman came in with her sixth baby. She snored so loudly it literally sounded like a thunderstorm. I even videoed it to show people... She slept from the minute she arrived until about 8 and then spoke loudly on her phone. I actually found it all amusing as I was way too wired to sleep anyway. It kept me entertained until I was allowed to go home after seeing the paediatrician at 10am! DD was supposed to be monitored for meconium but nobody remembered and as she was fine and my second I decided to monitor her myself at home instead!

Ragwort · 18/08/2014 21:51

I had the opposite experience to Micah - I wasn't 'allowed' out because of the difficulty establishing breast feeding. In the end my DH had to lose his temper and insist on giving our baby some formula.

I was kept in for 6 days, I'd had an EMCS, DS had serious medical problems but the midwives insisted on bleating on and on about breast feeding although I was clearly struggling.

(when I got home and everything was a lot calmer it was so much easier to manage to breast feed - I also read somewhere that if you have an EMCS, and shock from hearing your baby has a medical condition, it can have an effect on your ability to breast feed immediately - no one told me that at the time).

It was a horrible experience, despite being in my 40s I just felt powerless and like a naughty school girl.

Regarding the ward - I did get a private room for a few nights and there was only ever one other person with me when I was in a larger ward.

Elletorrito · 18/08/2014 21:58

I had a horrible labour and I didn't realise that the midwives don't give you painkillers as they wore off so I'd recommend bringing an alarm clock/ setting your alarm on your phone so you can keep on top of meds although hopefully you won't need them.

Apart from that I loved being on the ward and felt very comfortable and I loved the food! Although that was probably down to having an hg pregnancy and it was such a revelation to not feel sick anymore. Good luck

beccajoh · 18/08/2014 21:58

I wouldn't worry about sleeping. You might get the odd hour here and there, but during/post birth you develop this incredible ability to be awake for several days on the trot and still feel pretty cheerful. Or at least that's my experience anyway.

Take ear plugs and an eye mask.

angelopal · 19/08/2014 16:41

A women on my ward snored. I was jealous that she was able to sleep. Dd screamed and screamed for 2 nights and each night they took her away for a bit. Said to give me a break but was probably more to give everyone else a break.

They try and get you home as soon as they can. But they cannot force you to go. It depends on the midwives. Dd1 died on the day we got her home so with dd2 going home was a massive deal. They kept trying to send me home before I was ready but once I explained they were really nice. But I did have to explain to each new midwife.

Twinklestar2 · 20/08/2014 07:22

I paid for a private room. It was lovely and peaceful and my OH got to stay with me the whole time too.

I didn't sleep tho - was too much on a high after having my baby.

PinkAndBlueBedtimeBears · 20/08/2014 07:33

First time round was a nightmare experience, dd wouldn't feed properly due to undiagnosed tongue tie, and was pretty much made to feel like a failure by every mw one who even commented outside my curtain 'door' 'oh, this is the girls who's keeping everyone up all night by trying to breastfeed? Ahaahaah' :(

Second time round (two weeks ago today!!) was magical, I was the only person on the ward for an entire day, got tonnes of breastfeeding help, midwives came for chats with cups of tea because they were bored.. It was glorious..

It depends on the day/ time/ staff/ how many people are there etc.. All factors out of our control unfortunately!

Crocodileclip · 20/08/2014 07:46

Talking in your sleep will probably be the last thing on your mind. When I gave birth to DS2 three weeks ago there were 23 babies on the ward I was on. 23 newborn babies make quite a lot of noise. Even if you managed to get to sleep, nobody would be able to hear you talking.

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